# Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum?



## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

I picked up some of this last weekend and I did not care for it. It was lacking in flavor for my taste. Has anyone else ever tried this RUM? Please keep in mind that I usually drink Single Malt Scotch or Bourbon and this is the first rum that I have ever purchased. The only other rum that I have ever had is Captain Morgan Private Stock and I liked that. Thoughts? I may have to go out tonight and pick up a bottle of something else.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

Come on guys. I need some advise on this quick before the woman gets home and stops me from going to the store for more booze.


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

Why buy rum from a guy who makes shirts?

Barbancourt 8yo should hit the spot for you.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

Corona Gigante said:


> Why buy rum from a guy who makes shirts?
> 
> Barbancourt 8yo should hit the spot for you.


A bit late bro but thanks. I had to head out but I picked up some Zaya and I am having a glass right now. What a fantastic Rum! I can't wait to light up a stogie and pair the two.


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

A cuban restaurant by me sells their 'premium' mojitos with this sh1t. GROSS. I'm enjoying Cruzan 2 year Light Rum for my mojitos from home quite well.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

Mindflux said:


> A cuban restaurant by me sells their 'premium' mojitos with this sh1t. GROSS. I'm enjoying Cruzan 2 year Light Rum for my mojitos from home quite well.


Mojitos are made with light rum, right?


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

Smoked said:


> Mojitos are made with light rum, right?


Yeah.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

So I paired it with a Punch Punch and it is great. I can't believe how great rum really is. Single Malt is still better IMHO but rum is much better than I thought it would be.


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## adsantos13 (Oct 10, 2006)

Heres my quick (its late) and probably sloppy rum intro, hope it's helpful.
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-Try to find any of the following Rhum Agricoles. They are made with pressed Cane Juice in Martinique. In general, rum is made with molasses. These are my personal favorite for this type of spirit, and have IMHO the most complexity: 

1)Neisson Reserve Special
2)La Favorite Vieux
3)Rhum J.M. Vieux
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-If you like Zaya, another Guatemalan rum that is highly touted is Ron Zacapa Centenario. I find these to be similar but tend to like Zaya a bit more. These are made with Cane Sugar Syrup in lieu of molasses. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Venezuela is also home to some fantastic rums. To my knowledge these are made with molasses:

1)Santa Teresa 1796 
2)Pampero Aniversario
3)Diplomatico
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-I really like Flor de Cana from Nicaragua. There is a recent thread about here in the forum.
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-Although I find my palette moving away from molasses based Demarara rums from Guyana, they are highly touted. In this category I usually recommend the El Dorado 15.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

Tommy Bahama - Never tried it, but I'm skeptical. Seems to be priced a bit high, probably because of the name behind it and the extensive advertising campaign. I saw it prominently displayed on every liquor store shelf within days of the release (it's new this year). From what I've read, it's a decent rum, not bad, but not good either, although overpriced for what you get.

I agree with the Rhum Agricole recommendations. Of those, the Neisson is the only one I've got, and I have two others picked up from the Caribbean, Trois Rivieres and something else I can't remember this early in the morning. This style of rum is different from all the others. Some of them remind me of single malt scotch, though I'm not a Scotch drinker, and my Dad (who is) thinks I'm crazy.

Never had Zaya, but Zacapa Centenarios is good. Very smooth, fairly sweet as well. If you like sweet, try Pyrat XO or Pyrat Pistol. They're on the sweeter side, with a bit of an orange flavor as well. Not quite a flavored rum, but not really a 'regular' rum either.

The Pampero Aniversario is one of my favorites. It has a lot of flavors from the oak aging, similar to an oaked Chardonnay. If you like that style, try Ron del Barillito 3-Star from Puerto Rico if you can find it. The Santa Teresa is good also, but the oak flavors aren't quite as prominent, the rum stands out a bit more. 

If you don't have a good liquor store nearby, look for Cruzan Single Barrel or Mount Gay Extra Old. Both are readily available, and are probably the best thing you'll find in the typical street corner liquor store.

You may also want to try a bottle of Gosling's Black Seal rum. It's well known as one of the best black rums on the market. Cruzan Blackstrap is similar, but most people complain of a heavy molasses flavor. Gosling's is not as heavy as the color would imply. Their gold rum is decent too, and I've heard great things about their Family Reserve but I haven't tried it yet.

The Angostura line of rums are also good, though 1824 will set you back considerably more than the 1919, but there is definitely a distinct difference between the two. The 1824, being aged longer, has more of the toasted oak flavors that I enjoy, and has a bit more body to it. If you find one at a good price, it's worth it, but in this range it's worth shopping around the price.

You can probably tell by now there can be huge differences from one rum to the next. Look around for a local rum bar and try a few different brands side-by-side, you'll probably be surprised how different they taste. Rums from different countries can vary as much or more than Scotch from different regions. The best part is they're a helluva lot cheaper.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

WOW! Thank guys! I got myself a crash course on rum today. The next time I head out to BevMo I will print out this thread and take it with me. My next bottle of booze is going to have to be a single malt. While I was drinking the rum it made me miss the scotch. I think that rum will be good for those nights when I feel like having something sweet. That is one thing that really stood out to me was how sweet it was. The stuff tastes like candy to me. Kind of scary in a way because I could easily drink way too much way too fast.


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## adsantos13 (Oct 10, 2006)

In the fall and winter, I find myself drinking Scotch and whiskey.

In the Spring and Summer, its Rum, Tequila, and Beer.


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

adsantos13 said:


> In the fall and winter, I find myself drinking Scotch and whiskey.
> 
> In the Spring and Summer, its Rum, Tequila, and Beer.


I usually find myself drinking while I am awake on days that end in the letter "Y"


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

Mindflux said:


> I'm enjoying Cruzan 2 year Light Rum for my mojitos from home quite well.


That's what I use. Cruzan is the stuff when it comes to rum for Mojitos. :tu:tu


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## Jugomugo (Oct 8, 2007)

On a side note, Tommy Bahama makes a really nice cologne. I need to pick some up.:2


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## ATLHARP (May 3, 2005)

Smoked said:


> A bit late bro but thanks. I had to head out but I picked up some Zaya and I am having a glass right now. What a fantastic Rum! I can't wait to light up a stogie and pair the two.


Zaya kicks ass! I gotta case coming from the douche bags that run the liquor stores here in NC. Liquor stores here are ran like the DMV- If you thought socialized medicine was bad, try socialized liquor stores! The whole rum section is Bacardi or Captain Morgan's.............NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! u

ATL


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

Look, you don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy a good bottle of rum and to be honest some of the higher priced rums that have been recommended in this and other threads are good rums but how refined are your tastes for rum. If you're new to rum then you're probably not going to really be able to taste the difference between a good Barbados rum like Cockspur 5 Star (around $18 in my area) and some of those other rums that cost over $35 per bottle. The other thing is how are you going to drink it. 

If you are going to drink it neat or on the rocks with no mixer, then spend a little more and get something smoother and with more character. I like Pyrate rum myself. If you are going to mix it with fruit juice or cola or make a mojito, then buy Cruzan it is one of the better mixing rums and personally I don't like Bacardi.

And, before anyone starts blasting me about not buying the high end rums, I base my opinion on the fact that he's not a rum drinker. To me its sort of like giving a first time cigar smoker a Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru and expecting him to tell the difference between that and a Fuente Curly head.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

Hey Bro,

Enough with the kid stuff! Spend a few extra bucks and drink some really good chit, what the hell, you’re the one drinking it!

*** these are exceptional and also best buys!

Banbancourt 15yo Old Estate Reserve - Haiti
Appleton Estate 12yo - Jamaica 
Ron Botran Anejo – Guatemala ***
Cockspur 8yo VSOR – Barbados ***
Pampero Ro Anejo Anniversario – Venezuela ***
Mount Gay Extra Old Barbados ***
:all


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## Smoked (Apr 12, 2007)

I drink the rum with one ice cube made from spring water just like I do my scotch. I don't really like mixed drinks very much. I still have the zaya but I will probably have a glass tonight. For me rum is something that I will drink when I want something sweet. If there are cheaper rums that are also good neat I will be more than happy to go out and get some.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

My take on cheap 'starter rums':

If you can find it, try Traveller's One Barrel. It's not the best rum I've ever had, but at $11/bottle it's a fantastic value, on par with most that cost two or three times that amount. This site will tell you where to shop: http://www.onebarrelrum.com/

Cruzan Single Barrel Estate. It's $25 at my local liquor store, easy to find, and easy to drink. That was what got me started.

If you can find another bill, get the Pampero at $35, it doesn't get much better than that.

None of those are as sweet as Zaya (from what I've heard), the sweeter rums tend to cost a little more (Pyrat, Ron Zacapa, etc.), but you'll probably find them all at least somewhat 'sweet' compared to your scotch.


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